


New Photographs, New Memories

by PhoenixUnending



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-28 03:32:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13262730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixUnending/pseuds/PhoenixUnending
Summary: A series of one shots of Link and Zelda's life after the game.





	1. Runes

Traveling with Zelda, Link thought, was vastly different from traveling alone. Where he would normally scale the side of a cliff, they had to take the long way around. They actually had to stop and find a place to sleep when night fell. He could no longer use the shrines to warp his way around Hyrule, since they would only work for one person. They had to use the roads, instead of Link’s tendency to simply head in a straight line with no regard for forest or river in his way. 

Of course, none of this was necessarily a bad thing. He had no reason to hurry, so he didn’t mind taking “the scenic route.” Sleeping regularly was nice too. Zelda remained fascinated by the shrines, and though the warp feature only worked for one, Link had discovered that he could bring the princess down to the shrines to look around. Though he had never been one to have an ego, he did enjoy the way she oohed and aahed as he demonstrated how he had solved the puzzles. He even found a couple that could be reset, and let Zelda take a stab at figuring them out. One of them had taken him the better part of a day, and she got it on her first try. He lamented relinquishing control of the Sheikah slate to her sometimes, as he wished he could photograph the blush that crossed her face when he called her “clever princess.”

Zelda adored the Sheikah slate. When use of the runes was necessary she often handed the slate back to Link, taking notes on his easy use of the device. She was practicing with the runes, but her control was shaky, especially compared to Link. 

Link glanced down at the water of the lake, noting the glint of something metallic at the bottom. “Here would be a good place to try out the magnesis rune,” he said quietly. 

Zelda perked up, hopping up from where she was observing a flower, and took out the Sheikah slate. After swinging it around, she looked at Link in confusion. He gestured at the lake. She stepped closer, and Link had to lurch forward to grab her around the waist as she almost stepped into the water, focused on the chest she had seen. Zelda managed to hook the metal chest, but when she went to reel it in it swung wildly. Link ducked as it flew over his head. It dropped with a crash, landing upside down behind him. Zelda’s concerned face was suddenly right in front of his, and only battle-honed reflexes kept him from falling backwards away from her. 

“I’m so sorry!” she cried. “I didn’t mean to swing it that way!” 

Link chuckled lightly. “Nothing bruised but your pride I think.”

Zelda gave him a watery smile before turning her attention to her prize. The lock was rusted to the point where it was almost unable to be identified. “How do we get in there?”

Link glanced at it. He grabbed a nearby rock and slammed it down on the rustiest spot. The chest popped open. He kicked it over and let Zelda inspect the contents. It was a Gerudo sword, despite being quite a ways north of the Gerudo region. Zelda glanced from the sword to the chest to the lake. “Why…”

Link shrugged. “It’s easier to not question it. That sword will be a good size for you though.”

He helped her strap the sword to her hip, accessible, but not a danger to herself. Then Link obligingly took her picture. And took another. And another. When Zelda was satisfied with her photo she turned to inspecting the chest. Link stood watch as she took notes of the construction of the chest, what parts had taken the most damage, and the way the lock had broken under the rock. 

After a while the duo swung back up onto their horses and continued Zelda’s exploration of the new Hyrule.


	2. Frogs

They were camped out at one of the stables, waiting out a storm, and Zelda was telling Link stories of things he had yet to remember. Link chuckled, “I do remember you trying to feed me a frog!” 

Zelda blushed slightly. “It was for science!”

Link grinned, digging in his seemingly endless bag. He produced an elixir and handed it to her. “This is how you do it, not by shoving it down a poor knight’s throat!” 

Zelda was too busy inspecting the bottle to bristle at his slight. Link noted that the rain had finally stopped, and stepped outside to rekindle the fire under the cooking pot. He pulled some rupees from his bag and replaced the bottle in Zelda’s hands with them. He pointed at Beedle. “Go pick out a critter.”

He had a laugh as Zelda jumped at Beedle’s enthusiastic greeting. The traveling salesman produced a frog for the princess, and she took it carefully, bringing it to where Link waited by the fire. 

He handed her a keese wing, and the journal she had left on her chair. 

She dropped the ingredients into the pot the way she had seen him do, giggling as he hummed quietly while they waited. Soon enough the brew was done. Link observed her creation. He nodded appraisingly. “Energy, nice.”

“Drink it?” Zelda asked, holding out her notebook.

Link shook his head, ignoring how his heart pulled slightly at her crestfallen expression. “It won’t do me any good now, but I’ll make sure you get your observations when the time comes.”

Zelda smiled at that. “Alrighty. Have you got any critters stashed away I can experiment with?”

Link laughed and produced the requested items from his bag. By nightfall his ridiculous magic bag was full.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> buy a poor writer a coffee? https://www.ko-fi.com/jennmullen


	3. Chapter 3

Zelda’s first visit to Gerudo Town meant Chief Riju wanted to go sand seal surfing with her. Which didn’t go quite the way the chief planned.

Zelda could do a lot of things. Zelda could quickly learn a lot of things. Sand surfing was not one of those things. 

She was absolutely willing to learn, that wasn’t the issue. The issue was that sand seals didn’t do gradual starts, and so rather than letting her dig her heels in and slide along, she would be pulled headlong into the sand. 

Riju frowned. “Got any wisdom for us Patricia?”

The grey seal barked. Riju’s frown deepened. Link looked over at her curiously. “Her ‘great’ wisdom is that you’re both skinny,” Riju said. “She didn’t even use a pun!”

The seal lurched forward and knocked into Link, flapping at the royal shield still on his back. He looked confused, but offered it to her. She bumped her head into him again, throwing him off balance and into Zelda. 

Riju stared at the duo. “Really Patricia?”

Patricia barked happily. 

The two Hylians still looked confused, and Riju noticed that both seemed a little redder than previously. Something told her it wasn’t just the desert heat. She smirked. She arranged Link to stand on the very back of his shield, shushing him before he could protest that he was too far back. Then she took Zelda by the shoulders and pushed her gently back against Link. 

Zelda started to wave her arms but the Gerudo chief held her hands still. “Trust me,” she said. 

She handed Link the ropes and he shifted his feet slightly, the blush on both their faces steadily darkening. With a laugh, Riju smacked the sand seal and it took off. 

Link leaned back, easily falling into a balanced stance. His shifting weight knocked Zelda back into him. She was shocked that she hadn’t fallen. Link laughed, adjusting to having a person leaning their full weight back onto him. Zelda really was quite skinny. If the shield were any smaller it wouldn’t have worked, but it wasn’t, so it did. 

They flew across the sand, and Riju caught up to them shortly. The trio raced their way out to the great skeleton. Zelda wanted to stop and investigate it, but the sun was already nearing the horizon, and Link wanted to make it back into town before the cold hit. He didn’t admit it, but he also wasn’t ready for Zelda to meet any of the great fairies. In his opinion, at least a day’s mental preparation was required before going to see any of the crazy ladies. He really hoped they didn’t want to upgrade Zelda’s clothes. 

When they raced back, Zelda put her hands over Link’s on the ropes. She leaned back as close to the knight as she could, and as the seal began to slow near town, she turned her head and kissed him on the cheek. Link lost his balance on the shield for the first time in weeks and they tumbled to the sand. Riju laughed as he helped her to her feet. She winked at Zelda, whose blush returned full force. And if the chief pretended not to notice when Link shyly slipped his hand into Zelda’s on the walk through town, well nobody but Patricia could tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> buy a poor writer a coffee? https://www.ko-fi.com/jennmullen

**Author's Note:**

> buy a poor writer a coffee? https://www.ko-fi.com/jennmullen


End file.
